Liberal Democrat Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain has launched a scathing attack on Labour’s inheritance tax changes for farmers, declaring the Government has “got this one wrong.”
Speaking to GB News, Chamberlain highlighted growing opposition to what critics have dubbed the “family farm tax”.
Chamberlain revealed that farmers from her own constituency of North East Fife had travelled to London to protest the changes.
“Having spoken to their accountant, spoken to their lawyer, as the government said that they should do that, they were going to be negatively impacted,” she told GB News.
Research commissioned by the Liberal Democrats has revealed widespread public concern over the farming inheritance tax changes.
According to the study, 60 per cent of Britons believe the tax rises on family farms will lead to increased food prices.
Lib Dems Chief Whip Wendy Chamberlain accused Labour of ‘turning farmers against government’
PA / GB News
Nearly half of those surveyed indicated they would seek cheaper food alternatives as a result.
The research also found that 20 per cent of respondents anticipated reducing their fruit and vegetable consumption.
“This is damaging not only to public health, but it’s also damaging to the High Street,” Chamberlain told GB News.
She explained that many survey participants indicated they would shift their purchasing to supermarkets, potentially harming small retailers.
The Liberal Democrat Chief Whip emphasised that despite falling inflation, food prices continue to rise above expectations.
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Farmers showed up in their thousands to protest against the changes in London
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“There’s absolutely no doubt that if we look at what the new Government’s expectations were in terms of the economy more generally, already only a few weeks post the Budget, it is not going in that direction,” she said.
“It’s quite clear that the public are feeling the effects of that.”
Chamberlain told GB News that Labour have ‘got it wrong’ with their inheritance tax raid
GB News
Chamberlain emphasised that while £500million was “not a small tax take,” the policy had disproportionate consequences for the farming sector.
“What’s quite clear is for a relatively small tax take… it seems to be that this is a decision on this family farm tax that has full scale turned the farming sector against the government,” she told GB News.
However, Labour has defended the changes, arguing farms up to £1million will not be affected and expected to pay tax.
